Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Thursday, 16 May 2013

In April 2013, David, Sharene and myself visited Bougainville with a team from Australia and the USA to take part in a special ceremony. A clan called the Motaha has adopted us, and with that privilege comes the rights of land ownership. We were welcomed to the village and the clan, given new names and engaged in the ceremony to take ownership of 10 acres of beautiful land with spectacular ocean views! How good is our God?

We are introduced as new clan members and given our new names.

David - Kawit - Man from the bush

Royree - Mutawis - Woman of this land on which we stand

Sharene - Muaniu - Woman of the coral rock

Dancing with our new family as we enter the village to being the ceremony.

Royree having some traditional 'paint' applied by the chief women of the village as part of the ceremony. This took place inside a hut that had been built for this purpose specially.